Waterside Care Home

Updated 12 May 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection was prompted in part by notification of an incident following which a person using the service sustained a serious injury. The information shared with CQC about the incident indicated potential concerns about the management of risk of falls at the home. At the time of the inspection, we were assured from evidence seen, that the provider had mitigated the risks appropriately.

This inspection took place on 28 March 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by two inspectors, a specialist advisor and an expert by experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

We reviewed information we held about the service, this included information received from the provider about deaths, accidents/incidents and safeguarding alerts which they are required to send us by law. We also contacted the local authority who commission services to gather their feedback.

We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk to us.

We spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager, the regional quality director, four members of care staff, three nurses, activities co-ordinator, the chef, the administrator, one housekeeper and two visiting dieticians. We also spoke with ten people living at the service and five visitors.

We reviewed a range of documents and records including the care records of three people using the service, four medication administration records, three staff files, training records, accidents and incidents, complaints systems, minutes of meetings, activity records, surveys and audits.

Updated 12 May 2018

This inspection took place on 28 March 2018 and was unannounced. This was the first rating inspection of this service under the new provider, HC-One Oval Limited.

Waterside is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Waterside Care Home accommodates 60 people in three separate units across one adapted building. One of the units provides care and support for up to 12 people who require intermediate care following discharge from hospital and prior to returning home.

There was a manager in post who was not registered with the Commission, but had submitted their application. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People felt safe and were supported by staff who were aware of the risks to them and their responsibilities to report any concerns they may have. Where safeguarding concerns were raised they were acted on and reported appropriately. Where accidents and incidents took place they were investigated and lessons were learned and appropriate actions taken. Safe systems of recruitment were in place. Systems were in place to ensure people received their medicines as prescribed by their GP and staff competencies in this area were checked.

Staff were provided with an induction and training to ensure they were skilled and competent in their role. Staff felt supported, well trained and were confident in approaching the manager or deputy for advice, guidance and support. People were supported to make choices at mealtimes and drinks and snacks were available throughout the day to help people maintain a healthy weight. People were supported to access a variety of healthcare services in order to maintain good health.

Staff obtained people’s consent prior to offering support. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People received support from staff who they described as kind and caring. Staff treated people with dignity and respect and ensured people were involved in making decisions regarding how they spent their day. Staff treated people with kindness and responded to their needs. Information was available in people’s care records to assist staff to communicate effectively with them.

People were involved in the planning of their care. Staff were aware of peoples needs and preferences and what was important to them. People were supported to maintain relationships and friendship groups. Staff respected people’s choices and supported people to take part in a variety of activities they enjoyed. People had no complaints but were confident that if they raised concerns they would be responded to appropriately.

The transfer of ownership had created some uncertainty amongst some of the staff group, but arrangements had been put in place to reassure staff and answer any questions they may have. The return of the manager was welcomed by all at the home. Audits in place and the provider’s own inspection of the service, had supported the manager to identify areas for improvement which were immediately acted upon.

The provider had notified us about events that they were required to by law and had on display the previous Care Quality Commission rating of the service.